The present invention is concerned with novel pyrrolidin derivatives, their manufacture and their use as medicaments. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutically acceptable salts of these pyrrolidine compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds.
The enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV (EC.3.4.14.5, abbreviated in the following as DPP-IV) is involved in the regulation of the activities of several hormones. In particular DPP-IV is degrading efficiently and rapidly glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which is one of the most potent stimulator of insulin production and secretion. Inhibiting DPP-IV would potentiate the effect of endogenous GLP-1, and lead to higher plasma insulin concentrations. In patients suffering from impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, higher plasma insulin concentration would moderate the dangerous hyperglycaemia and accordingly reduce the risk of tissue damage. Consequently, DPP-IV inhibitors have been suggested as drug candidates for the treatment of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (e.g. Vilhauer, WO98/19998). Other related state of the art can be found in WO 99/38501, DE 19616486, DE 19834591, WO 01/40180, WO 01/55105, U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,949, WO 00/34241 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,011,155.